Trials and Tribulations by Jean Grainger

February 20, 2021

Trials and Tribulations by Jean Grainger

In the final installment in the Robinswood trilogy, Sam and Kate Kennefick have renovated part of the Robinswood estate and reopened it as a hotel. But they need help to run such a large house. Siblings Eve and her husband Bartley (seventh son of a seventh son, one of the travelers, tinkers or gypsies), Lady Lillian and her African American husband Beau, and Aisling and her troubled husband Mark all come to the estate, hopefully to contribute. Even Lillian, who at first is referred to as being as useful "as an ashtray on a motorbike" finds her niche. There are joys and sorrows for all of the family members, with a bittersweet conclusion.

I highly recommend this series if you are looking for a sweet, wholesome read, especially if you enjoy family sagas or women's fiction.

Return to Robinswood by Jean Grainger

January 24, 2021

Return to Robinswood by Jean Grainger

It's 1946, and World War II has finally ended. Sam Kennewick, the new Lord Kennewick following the death of his father, marries Kate Murphy, the caretaker's oldest daughter. They return to Robinswood, the family estate in County Clare, Ireland. Sam's mother has attempted to sell the property but it is too run down for anyone to buy it. Sam and Kate decide to turn it into a hotel, but they will need help in order to rehab the decaying house and property. During the war, Sam's sister Lillian had an affair with Beau, an African American serviceman, that resulted in a baby, but they are unable to marry while Beau is still in the military. He returns to the U.S.A. to be demobilized, but ends up in prison. The second Murphy daughter, Eve, is living with a friend, helping to care for her children while they wait for the friend's husband to come home from the war. The youngest Murphy daughter's husband comes home from the war with a severe case of PTSD that results in increasingly violent behavior. When he ends up in jail, Aisling decides to return to her family home in Ireland. Refurbishing the Robinswood Estate and reopening it as a grand hotel may offer salvation for both the Kennewick and Murphy families

This is the second book in the Robinswood series. It's a very enjoyable read with a heartwarming story and familiar characters. I look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.

What Once Was True by Jean Grainger

January 15, 2021

What Once Was True by Jean Grainger

Two Irish families, the aristocratic Keneficks and the working class Murphys. The Murphy children have grown up at Robinswood, a grand estate in County Clare, Ireland, where their parents work as caretakers. Lord and Lady Kenefick are British and even though Lord Kenefick gambles and drinks away the family fortune, they work hard to keep up appearances. Their once fine mansion is falling down around them and there is no money for repairs. After Lord Kenefick's death, Lady Kenefick decides to put the estate up for sale and moves to London.

With the loss of Robinswood, the Murphys are forced to find a new home and new jobs. With the start of World War II, two of the Murphy daughters move to England to join the women's air force, while the two Kenefick children are forced to reinvent themselves as well.

This is book one of the Robinswood trilogy, a heartwarming family saga. Anyone who enjoys domestic or women's fiction will enjoy this as well as readers of historical fiction.